Particulate loader and transfer devices are known, and as described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,431,537, are used by farmers and others to load and transfer grain and other particulates in a convenient manner. These devices include, for example, one or more blowers to create suction within an air-materials separation chamber and a vacuum pickup hose attached thereto, to transport grain or other materials from one location, into the air-materials separation chamber in the bottom of which is positioned a conveying mechanism such as, for example, an auger for transferring the grain or other particulate material from the air-materials separation chamber into, for example an open truck, container or other location.
State of the art particulate loaders have a separating drum of a generally perforated nature disposed within the air-materials separating chamber for separating the particulate from the air.
Typically, the drum is affixed to a fore-and-aft extending shaft about whose axis the drum is rotated during operation. Air drawn through the air-materials separating chamber passes through the separating drum through small perforations therein, the separating drum's small perforations thereby separating the particulates from the air, leaving the particulate in the air-materials separating chamber while the air which has passed through the perforations in the separating drum is exhausted through the suction mechanism of the particulate loader.
Unfortunately, a large flow of air is required for properly transferring the particulate therewith resulting in a large volume of air drawn into the separation chamber and to be handled therein. As a consequence the separation chamber has to be of a large size that is sufficient for handling the large volume of air and, furthermore, the handling of the large volume of air substantially reduces the efficiency of the separation process.
It is desirable to provide an inlet air extractor for reducing the air drawn into the separation chamber of a particulate loader and transfer apparatus.
It is also desirable to provide an inlet air extractor for a particulate loader and transfer apparatus that is simple and reliable.
It is also desirable to provide an inlet air extractor for a particulate loader and transfer apparatus that is implementable in existing designs of particulate loader and transfer apparatuses.